More trouble found during
inspections

Published: Sunday, February 13, 2000

LOS ANGELES {AP} Another airline under orders to look for signs of the tail wing problem that may have caused the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 replaced jackscrews on two jets Saturday, bringing the number of aircraft with similar problems to at least 10.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday ordered all airlines to inspect their MD-80s, MD-90s, Boeing 717s and DC-9s about 1,200 planes in all. The order was issued in response to the Jan. 31 Alaska Airlines crash that killed all 88 people aboard.

Northwest Airlines found "unidentified particles" near jackscrews on two DC-9 jets and replaced them Saturday.

The jets were taken out of service overnight so workers could replace the device, which serves as a control mechanism in the tail wing. The jets were scheduled to resume service by late Saturday afternoon, though their short grounding prompted some flight cancellations and delays.

The 2-foot-long, rod-like jackscrew drives the stabilizer that helps keep the plane level. The jackscrew recovered from the Flight 261 crash site had damaged threads and metal shavings that appear to have come from its gimbal nut.

It was unclear whether the latest irregularities meant the planes posed a threat to passengers.

The FAA is looking specifically for slivers of metal along jackscrews, but mechanics are reporting anything unusual they find, said agency spokesman Eliot Brenner.

Airline spokespeople said some of the planes were grounded after employees found residue on jackscrews that did not necessarily contain metal shavings.

Airlines said Saturday a light travel weekend has kept the problems from significantly disrupting air traffic.